Mast or spar



(No Model!) W. E. LEWIS.

MAST 0R SPAR.

No. 534,397. Patented Feb. 19 1%95.

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WILLIAM E. LEWIS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MASTv OR SPAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 534,397, datedFebruary 19, 1895. Application filed May 2, 1894- Serial No. 509,853-(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Masts and Spars; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to decrease the weight of the masts, andother spars, to decrease the size and the resistance thereof, and at thesame time to increase their strength, and to secure other advantages andresults hereinafter referred to.

The invention consists in the improvements and in the combinations andarrangements of the parts thereof, as herein set forth and finallypointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures where theyoccur, Figure 1 represents (in elevation) a sloop-rigged-yacht having amast, boom and gaff, and embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal section of the mast and a certain stifiening plate arrangedin the center thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through line m,and showing an additional stifiening plate, and Fig. 4 is a similar viewshowing a modified form of the mast.

In said drawings, A, designates the mast; B, the boom; 0, the gafi, andD the bow sprit. Said mast is preferably made of wood and in twolongitudinal sections, each side or section being hollowed out atintervals, as indicated in Fig. 2, or it may be hollow throughout itsentire length. The two sections are then firmly glued together, andfurther secured at intervals by dowels a. Through the center of the mastor spar, is arranged a metal plate I), composed of steel, iron, bronze,orother appropriate material; said plate being seated in a rabbet orrecess b, in one of the sections and, when the sections are together,firmly clamping said plate between them, as will be understood'uponreference to Figs. 2 and 3.

By arranging the plate 1) across the mast with its edges seated inlongitudinal grooves, it is evident that when the strain comes upon themast in the line of the plate, the plate would afford the greatestresistance to bending with the mast and the result would be that thegrooved surfaces of the mast would be forced against the knife edge ofthe plate which would cause it to split in the line of the plate andthereby render the mast worthless. To avoid this difficulty, the narrowplate 0 is arranged at the bottom of each of the grooves or recesses inthe mast at right angles to the plate I) as shown in Fig. 3, so that anystrain against the edge of the plate I) would be taken up by the plate 0and the liability of the splitting of the mast would be avoided. Byextending this narrow plate 0 the length of the mast it will be readilyseen that the mast is rendered much lighter and stronger than a solidwooden mast of equal dimension.

When a mast is hollowed out at intervals, as indicated in Fig. 2,partitions (1, will be left through which the plate I), passes whichserve as braces to brace the latter and prevent buckling, or bending, aswill be readily understood.

In cases where a mast is made hollow throughout or within a shortdistance from its extremities, I provide a supplemental plate, 6, Fig.3, which is inserted and stayed in the wooden shell at one edge in thesame manner as plate b, and intersects with and is firmly bolted orriveted to said plate I), as will be understood. I

While I have only shown the invention as applied to a mast, it isobvious that the same may be carried out in connection with the booms,gaffs, yard-arms, and other spars, used by sailing vessels.

By this construction, a mast or spar of a given length can be muchsmaller than one made of solid wood, and also much stronger and lighter.This is of considerable importance considered in connection with racingyachts, because of their decreased resistance to the atmosphere, forwhich purpose the modified form shown in Fig. 4 possesses also some.advantage, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The eombination,with a hollow wooden mast, the inner surface of whichis grooved longitudinally upon its opposite sides, of a plate 1)extending across the hollow of the mast with its edges seated in therecesses, and a cross-plate c' at the bottom of each recess and standingat right angles' to the plate b,

whereby the strain upon the edges of the plate I) will be taken up bythe plate a and the liability of splitting the mast along the line ofthe edges of plate I) is avoided, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hollow wooden mast, the combination of a central longitudinalplate, and transverse braces arranged at intervals between the top andbottom of the mast to stay and April, 1894.

WILLIAM E. LEWIS. Vitnesses;

OLIVER DRAKE, WILLIAM G. FREEMAN.

